


Gold Dust

by miraeyeteeth, Nightpounce



Category: Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce, NDU, Nightmare Dork University - Fandom, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Fearlings, Golden Age AU, M/M, creepily affectionate and codependent is better right?, gangly captain kozmotis pitchiner, honest!, in a sense...koz probably wouldn't agree, swinger of the not so mighty sword and hair trigger right hook, toddler!jack sickle, tw child abuse, tw child neglect, tw violence, we promise things get better
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-07
Updated: 2014-12-07
Packaged: 2018-02-28 12:19:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2732249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraeyeteeth/pseuds/miraeyeteeth, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightpounce/pseuds/Nightpounce
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The once exalted Golden Age was not as flawless as some of the tales imply. At a time when the Living Dark still lurked between the stars and the Golden General was still a nameless captain, a child is abandoned by the light and adopted by the dark.</p>
<p>Yet another Nightmare Dork University Golden Age AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gold Dust

**Author's Note:**

> So, Nightmare Dorks University is an au based around the Wangst Comics drawn by ask-pitchs-wardrobe on Tumblr (http://ask-pitchs-wardrobe.tumblr.com/) - you really should go check them out right now (SO GOOD!).
> 
> Mira-eyeteeth helpfully compiled a blog just for this au and the adorable arseholes that make it up (Kozmotis Pitchiner, Piki Black, Pitch Black, Proto and Jack Sickle). You can find the history for this AU here;  
> http://mira-eyeteeth.tumblr.com/NDU
> 
> This is a very loose AU, people tend to pick and choose what they want to be canon and what they don't. Be warned, this AU has a tendency to eat people (it's all mira's fault i got dragged in!!) and it's full of amazingly talented artists and writers. It also includes Proto's pet taxidermied ferret.....which he leaves in various places around the shared apartment, claiming Mr Pickles likes to watch. The others are less than impressed by this behaviour >>
> 
> .........................................
> 
> Another Golden Age!au - slightly darker beginnings and a very big twist on the norm.
> 
> Possible trigger warnings for child neglect and abuse, abandonment, threats to a child’s life, violence.

By the time the fearlings reached the village, the alarm had long since been raised; the rambling buildings dark and empty, abandoned as its inhabitants fled before the warnings of approaching monsters. Even the wildlife had moved on; the rodents and insects endemic to such places nowhere to be seen, the surrounding forest devoid of any bird song. For creatures of the living dark, this sad, desolate little place was rather disappointing. The stale, lingering remnants of mortal terror tainted the air; tantalizing promises of what could have been if only the Golden Army’s advanced warnings had not reached this outlier so quickly.

Shadows ebbed and flowed down cobbled streets, staining the empty structures and spilling out across the hard-packed ground surrounding the settlement, seeking the trail of their wayward quarry. It was not hard to find, fear and desperation still clinging to the earth, a siren’s call the fearlings gladly answered; there was nothing of interest for them here.

At least until a tiny, hiccuping sniffle broke the unending silence of the place, and a trio of disembodied shadows broke away from the liquid dark flowing from the town, flitting off in the direction of the sound.

A boy, no older than three or four, was huddled in the lightless corner of an empty basement, sobbing brokenly against his knees - left behind in the rush, no doubt. He was tiny, albino skin and snow-white hair stark against the dark of his hiding place despite the dirt that smeared his tattered clothes. It was clear the child was crying as quietly as he could but it had not been softly enough to escape the notice of the fearlings that had broken from the body of the group, sliding from the shadows and focusing on him hungrily.

Luminous amber eyes blinked into existence before the boy, set above a wide, sharp-toothed grin. “Hello, child,” the creature crooned.

The little one faltered, pausing in his sobs to lift his head and stare into the fearling’s eyes. Blue eyes, tinged red, blinked in confusion before he gasped, small hand darting out to grab at one of the gleaming yellow points of light.

The fearling recoiled with a hiss, clapping a clawed hand over the eyeball the child had made a grab for. “The little brat tried to take my eye out!” he snarled incredulously.

There was a snort. “Just when I thought you’d exhausted all possible ways of making yourself look like a fool, Pitch. Now you’re getting chased off by a toddler?” the sardonic voice asked, owner hidden despite a soft dripping noise against the stone.

The little mortal rubbed his eyes, squinting into the darkness. “Not fi’flies? People?” he asked, voice worn and ragged as he clambered to his feet. “Hello?” He wobbled forwards on uncertain, stubby legs, hands outstretched as if in an entreaty to be picked up. Before he could reach the startled fearling, the child tripped and fell forwards, catching himself on his hands and knees, spiralling ferns of frost blazing out from where he had landed. The boy gasped and snatched his hands to his chest. “No no no no no. ‘M sorry. I didn’t mean it, I didn’t mean it,” he whimpered, staring at the still-spreading patterns inching across the floor.

A pair of inhumanly large clawed hands scooped the child up, cradling and turning him gently. “How curious,” a third voice mused, blue eyes looking over its catch and the faintly glowing ice. “He seems to be more frightened of his own abilities than of us. I wonder if that was why he was abandoned here…” Careful claws carded through snowy hair, their owner watching with interest as the child leant into the touch, reaching desperately to catch them as they withdrew.

“That makes no sense. Why leave a child with such potent magic?” The hidden fearling moved forward, studying the boy now straining to be held closer.

“Fear~” The blue-eyed fearling caught the boy’s chin gently, lips quirking when little fingers latched around its own. “Is that right, little one? Do you scare people? Did they fear your ice?”

“Sorry, m’sorry!” Tears began to slip down stained cheeks as the hands holding the small child lowered. A panicked sob escaped when his feet touched the ground and the boy stumbled forward, clinging to the retreating talons. “D’n leave, please d’n leave! I’ll be good…”

“Mmmn, you’ve said those words before, haven’t you?” the fearling mused, its claws dissolving into wisps of shadow under the boy’s hands as the child whimpered.

A pleased hiss filled the air, the smaller fearlings pressing closer and inhaling deeply. “His fear is delicious…”

The child hiccupped and whirled around, latching onto the creature that seemed to be made of oozing darkness. “P-please, please, please…” he pleaded, either heedless or uncaring of the way the thing’s body was dripping slowly over his clothing.

The fearling made an affronted sound, but the rapid clomp of heavy footsteps approaching made all of the creatures pause and look up. The Golden Army had arrived.

“Ah, their timing is always so…inconvenient.” The largest fearling regarded the ceiling before refocusing on the tiny mortal clinging to his companion.

“Not the word I would have chosen.” The dripping fearling hissed, claws extending as it loomed over the child clutching at its legs. “Release me!”

The boy shook his tiny head, curling closer and looking up into burning amber eyes imploringly.

“Please…” he pressed his cheek harder against the ooze, completely unfazed by the liquid shadows now clinging to his skin and hair.

“What was that you were saying Piki? Something about toddlers and being pathetic?” The spiny fearling chuckled, inhaling deeply once more before sighing softly in regret. “Too bad we’ll have to cut this short.”

“Mmm, not necessarily,” The largest fearling stretched tall, towering over the other fearlings, who regarded him warily.

“Proto, you know those insipid meddlers will come running the moment the little brat starts screaming.” The spine-covered fearling looked unimpressed.

“Indeed they will. I’ve always found that particular instinct so…endearing~” Blue eyes lit with amusement, “Tell me Pitch, Piki, how do you think our friends will react when they hear a young child crying?” Smokey limbs extended to pet the child’s head, smearing more of the black ooze through his hair.

“They’ll be afraid…” The spiky fearling shared a sharp-toothed grin with its oozing counterpart.

“And they’ll investigate, bringing them here.” The dripping fearling tapped one claw against its chin, absentmindedly allowing the boy to sink further into the liquid shadows of his form, all but coating the child in ooze.

“Mmm, their reactions should be most informative.” Wandering claws withdrew as the larger fearling started to fade. “Goodbye, little one”

The boy snapped his head around to stare, whining as he watched the creature dissipate, blue eyes blinking out.

“Yes, farewell, brat.” The spined fearling waved before stepping backwards and vanishing into the shadows,

There was a soft whimper of distress, and tears began to slip down the child’s face once more, leaving stark clean tracks in the shadows. He looked up, face pleading. “….please?”

The remaining creature smiled, revealing jagged teeth. “No.” It sank into the shadows pooling around its feet, its sudden departure sending the child sprawling forward into the remaining ooze.

Silence, save for the scrape of tiny hands and knees searching for purchase against the slippery stone. The boy pushed himself up slowly, chest heaving, air stuttering out from between shadow-stained lips in short, pained gasps as tear-blurred eyes stared blindly into the dark, searching the corners for any sign of the blue and amber eyed creatures. His little head dropped forward, thin shoulders hunching as his fingers fisted in shadowy mire, watching blankly as ice started to creep from around him. The first sob was almost noiseless, a pained huff from deep inside his little frame but as reality sank in – he’d been left behind again - his sobs gained strength; the lonely sounds of an abandoned and heart-broken child echoing up the cold stone stairway that led to the basement.

……………………………………….

Kozmotis Pitchiner (Koz to anyone not his superior, unless they wanted a broken jaw) paused in the middle of the street, cocking his head as he listened. The town was eerily silent, they always were when the warnings reached them in time, the people fleeing, the fearlings and shadows never lingering once the trail was picked up. He hated it, stalking through the dark, lifeless places, driving off the clinging shadows with their star-silver weapons before moving on, it was stupid!! They should be moving on right now, trying to reach the fearlings before they found the townspeople or reached the next settlement but that job was reserved for more experiences soldiers, not new recruits. Okay, making sure the settlement was clear of lurking monsters was important, but there was never anything there, dammit! It was a waste of resources. Why would predators stick around when there was no prey and they knew the Golden Army was on their tails? But orders were orders…

He moved further down the street, peering into the darkened windows of a store-front when a strange echoing wail started, rising and falling as it filtered out from one of the dark empty buildings nearby. He wasn’t the only one to hear it, four other soldiers moving to join him as he moved, trying to determine which structure the mournful sound was coming from. He stopped before a heavy, wooden door and pushed against it with the tip of his sword, the other soldiers fanning out around him.

The door creaked open, swinging wide into the darkness, the sounds they’d been trying to follow now so much clearer although still faint – whatever was making it wasn’t on the ground floor then. One of the other men cleared his throat, looking nervously at Koz.

“You know…that sounds a lot like a-”

“Like a kid. Yeah, I know.” Koz cut him off, stepping forward, “Stay sharp, this could be a trap.”

The men spread out, two moving up the stairs to check the second floor, while Koz and the remaining soldiers cased the ground-floor rooms. Gathering at the top of the stone passageway leading to the basement, they exchanged glances, one of the men who’d moved to explore the top floors shaking his head.

“Nothing, Sir. Although I swear something is watching us.” He shivered, eyes skating over the dimly lit interior of the store.

“I’d say you were jumping at shadows but…” Koz left it hanging, hefting his sword and starting down the stairs.

Whoever or whatever was crying, it was definitely in the basement, the tight stone walls of the passage amplifying what were clearly the distraught sounds of an inconsolable child.

“What’s wrong with the door?” the jumpy soldier from before reached out to trace a gloved finger along the wall. “It’s….ice?”

Koz drew a line through the frost spreading along the heavy grain of the wood and examined it for a moment before he nodded and reached for the latch. It didn’t budge.

“It’s locked.” He tugged again for emphasis.

“Captain…the lock is on the outside of the door.” One of the soldiers pointed to a latch and padlock that had been all but obscured by the spreading ice. The man swallowed, adjusting his grip on his weapon. “Why would they bother to lock the door?”

“To keep something in.” The second soldier caught Koz’s eye and nodded. “Ready when you are, Captain.”

‘Right, let’s break it down.” Koz raised his boot, aiming for the wood just below the latch and kicked, hard. Once, twice, the wood splintered on the third kick, the fourth throwing the door wide. Koz leapt inside, catching the door with one hand as it rebounded, brandishing his sword with the other.

“What the fuck?” he ignored the soldiers spilling into the basement behind him, staring intently at small child crouched in the middle of the faintly-glowing, ice-encrusted floor, staring up wide-eyed at the soldiers.

“Hey little guy,” Koz edged forward, eyes scanning the surrounding dark, “Did you get stuck?”

“He wasn’t stuck Captain, he was locked in!” the man at Koz’s shoulder took a half-step forward. “What’s he covered in?”

“Looks like shadows…” A second soldier edged closer, peering at the floor. “The floor’s covered in the stuff, all frozen solid. Is he doing that?” The child flinched when the man jerked his thumb at the still-spreading ice.

“Sorry, m’sorry, don’t want to…” he mumbled, hunching his shoulders.

“It’s him, although magic like this from a kid that young is almost unheard of.” The third soldier spun around to watch the door, motioning the fourth to watch the back corners. “There were fearlings here, sir, that goop proves it. Looks like the kid scared them off though.”

“No! No, no,” the small child shook his head and rubbed the back of his hand across his eyes, smearing more dark, viscous ooze across his face. His free hand clenched on the frozen darkness beneath him, his chest heaving. “Didn’t mean it, didn’t mean it!” 

“Hey, come on kid, it’s alright. It’s okay now. We’ll getcha out of here.” Koz stepped forward but stopped when a hand clamped down on his forearm.

“Sir, no! Don’t touch him!” The soldier wasn’t looking at Koz, instead staring warily down at the child who was huddled miserably in the middle of the cold, dark basement.

“The hell is wrong with you?” Koz jerked his arm away.

“He’s tainted Captain, look! He’s absolutely covered in the living dark.” The boy whimpered, hugging himself. “The poor thing’s obviously infected. Why else would he have been left alive? We can’t risk him turning, especially not with innate abilities like that.” He stabbed a finger at the ice, the child flinching and edging backwards with a whimper. “For all we know, he was locked down here with good reason.”

“What are you suggesting?” Koz’s voice was deceptively quiet.

“We take care of the problem now.” The man hefted his sword, the threat clear.

“You bastard! He’s just a kid!” Koz rounded on the soldier, who refused to back down.

“He’s a threat. If you don’t have the stomach to deal with-” the man didn’t get a chance to finish, Koz driving his fist into the man’s face, bone and cartilage shattering with a sickening crunch before the man was sent sprawling.

The boy screamed, scrambling backwards until his back was pressed against the far wall. “No! No, please come back please come back please!”

“No one is hurting any little kids on my watch, you fucking hear me?” Koz snarled at the soldiers remaining on their feet, only relenting when they all nodded shakily. He turned back to the child, wincing at the obvious terror painting the boy’s features. “Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay. I’m sorry for scaring you, kid. No one’s gonna hurt you, don’t worry,” he said softly, hoping to reassure him.

The child whined and shook his head, attempting to shrink back even further.

Poor kid, Koz thought, feeling guilty. Well, he was big and brandishing a sword and he supposed he couldn’t really blame the boy… Maybe he could calm him down some. Koz knelt down, and set his sword aside, slowly. “Here, it’s alright. You’re safe. I’ll take you back home,” he said, holding his hands out placatingly. It was a good thing the kid had scared away the fearlings that had been here, otherwise this kind of fear would be a huge draw for them. Assuming the ice had scared them off…

Why else would he have been left alive? The asshole’s voice echoed in his head, and a chill shot down Koz’s spine just as a pair of eerie blue eyes blinked into existence in the shadows behind the shivering waif. “NO!” Koz yelled, scrambling for his sword again as the fearling peeled out of the darkness.

The kid jerked his head up to stare at the creature with a gasp. “Came back,” he whispered.

“Yes…” The fearling’s claws closed around the child as Koz surged to his feet, slipping and skidding on the ice in his rush to reach the toddler. “And we’ll never leave you alone again.”

Koz crashed into the wall as the fearling and its hostage vanished into the rippling darkness. “No!”


End file.
